Vanessa Fisher, the mother of a newborn baby, decided which people around her had mixed opinions. While some found it odd, others supported her. Vanessa gave birth to a son whom the couple named Ashton. The baby was attached to his placenta for nine whole days! The practice is known as lotus birth, while a few also call it umbilical severance.
The mother, Vanessa, wanted the placenta to detach naturally rather than being cut off the moment the baby entered the world. She did not support or like interfering with nature; she wanted things to happen naturally. Thus, she decided not to interfere with the birth experience and considered this action to show respect to the entire process of giving birth.
At first, she did not know much about the cord and how it is detached and used. One day, while she was researching the reasons behind delayed cord clamping, she learned about lotus birth and knew what she wanted to do next! This is when the cord is left attached to the baby for the next few minutes after birth to allow the placental blood to get transferred to the baby.
Finding out about the practice made her feel like it was an action that naturally extended her values. Not just this, she did not like the idea of immediately detaching the cord from the baby, it’s like ending a 10-month connection abruptly. The practice felt cruel. Lotus birth, to Vanessa, was a great option to be gentler with the baby and to build a bond with the father.
Soon, she shared the idea with her husband, who was initially surprised, but after hearing about it in detail and seeing the beauty of Lotus’s birth, he supported Vanessa. Of course, no mother would want anything harmful for her baby! However, the relatives and other family members did not support the idea. While a few were concerned about how the baby would look, others found it unsanitary. Even their baby was not prepared to hold the baby till the cord was cut!
The mother remained firm on her decision and did not care much about how others perceived the practice. She found no possible concerns valid enough to give up on Lotus’ birth!
When Ashton finally arrived, his umbilical cord was left uncut at his parents’ request. The process of it detaching itself was satisfying for the parents. It dried out in a few days and became brittle. On the fifth day, it snapped. Only a little piece was now attached and fell on its own in a few days.
The process was successful without any infection or discomfort, which is why Vanessa shared her decision and the journey of detachment online, too. She did not do this to persuade others, but to show how beautiful everything is when nature is not interfered with. It is a journey of trust!
